HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Organizers of the traditional Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale, which often draws thousands of people, are preparing for this year’s event on April 11-12.

The sale, along with a festival and benefit auction, will be held at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson. The event is organized by 70 Mennonite, Brethren in Christ and Amish congregations.

The Hutchinson News reports (http://bit.ly/1fU4jl3 ) the sale celebrates the role Mennonites played in Kansas history. More than 5,000 Mennonites settled in the state as part of an influx into the United States from Russia between 1874 and 1884. They began communities at Goessel, Inman, Buhler, Moundridge and elsewhere in central Kansas.

Organizers say last year’s event raised $469,000. The money helps provide basic needs and community development across the world.